The joint proposal from the European social partners to extend the negotiating period on reviewing the Working Time Directive to 31 December 2012 has been agreed by the European Commission. The review of this legislation is aimed at updating EU working time rules to take account of profound changes in the world of work and to better meet the needs of employers and workers in the 21st century.

The European Commission has agreed to extend time for social partners' negotiations on reviewing the Working Time Directive to 31 December 2012, given that their negotiations are making progress. The review of the Working Time Directive is aimed at updating EU working time rules to take account of profound current changes in the world.

Under Article 154 of the TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the EU), the Commission must consult with management and labour at EU level before proposing any changes to EU social legislation, including EU labour law. One of the latest round of consultation on review of EU working time Directive was launched in December 2010. The social partners have nine months for their negotiations, but the period can be extended, if the employers' side, the workers' side and the Commission jointly decide to do so. In the case of the Working Time Directive, the social partners' negotiations began in early December 2011 and will now continue, under the extension of time just agreed, up to 31 December 2012.

The Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) sets up that each Member State must (as a minimum) ensure that every worker is entitled to a limit to weekly working time, which must not exceed 48 hours on average, including any overtime; a minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours in every 24; a minimum weekly rest period of 24 uninterrupted hours for each seven-day period, which is added to the 11 hours' daily rest; paid annual leave, of at least four weeks per year; extra protection in the case of night work (e.g. average working hours should not exceed 8 hours per 24-hour period; night workers should not perform heavy or dangerous work for longer than 8 hours in any 24-hour period). Moreover, there are a number of exceptions and derogations, providing flexibility in these rules.